


Amongst The Rubble

by Kimmimaru



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Child Death, Corpses, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Post-Sector 7 Plate Drop (Compilation of FFVII), Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 17:53:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30008682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmimaru/pseuds/Kimmimaru
Summary: Reno and Rude return to Sector Seven to try to help recover any survivors.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Amongst The Rubble

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, this is sad (or at least it's supposed to be) but my excuse is I was listening to sad music. Anyway, hope you enjoy the pain.
> 
> I was also slightly dissatisfied with the Remake's lame attempt to make Reno and Rude show how guilty they felt at dropping the plate. It felt shallow and fake somehow so I wrote this as an 'added' piece.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Rude frowned at Reno as he stepped out from his bedroom and saw him standing in the hall. He was dressed in a white t-shirt that looked like it had seen better days, a pair of jeans with a hole in one knee and a bandanna holding his hair back in place of his goggles. Reno turned abruptly, like he'd been caught doing something bad.   
  
“Uh...nothin'.” Reno said, looking away, “Just going out.”  
  
“Out? Dressed like that? How old are you? You look like a scruffy teenager.”  
  
“Hey, I look fine. I'll be back later.” He grabbed a ratty old back pack from the floor by his feet and swung it over his shoulder. Rude's suspicion deepened.  
  
“Wait a bit, let me come with you.”  
  
“Nah man, I'll be fine. Just let the boss know when I'll be back, yo.”  
  
“Uh-uh.” Rude shook his head slowly, “You think I'm just gonna let you go after what we just did?”  
  
“Rude-”  
  
“Wait there. I'll go change.”  
  
“Don't wear your suit, yo. This isn't official business.”  
  
Rude hesitated at the doorway to his bedroom, hand resting on the frame. He looked back, his frown deepening, “Are you in trouble?”  
  
“No. I'm fine.”  
  
“Reno-”   
  
“I said I'm _fine_. I just...” Reno rubbed at the back his head, “I'm gonna go down to the sector seven slums and...try and help out, ya'know?”  
  
Rude fell quiet, his eyes boring into Reno for a long, painful moment. “Fine. I'll get dressed and go with.” A few moments later he came out dressed in a shirt and an old pair of jeans. He looked as intimidating as always but at least looked like he could pass under the radar as a civilian. “If the boss finds out-”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, we'll be in trouble. I know. But I gotta do somethin'. I can't just sit here, knowing what we did.”  
  
Rude nodded, following Reno out the door of their apartment.  
  
XXX  
  
They got to the sector five slums using the train and disembarked together, Reno looked around at the platform and the people gathered in tight groups. The walked past parents, children, families and friends crying and being comforted. Many were covered in dust, others sat slumped against walls, a strange, detached look on their faces. Reno looked away as they walked past.   
  
“What if they recognise us?” Rude asked, causing Reno to glance at him.   
  
“They won't.” He shrugged, pushing his hands into his pockets. “Why would they? We're not wearing the suits. As far as they're concerned we're one of them, yo.”  
  
Rude nodded, glancing towards a sobbing child and an older man. He tore his eyes away and followed Reno towards Sector six. They were met with similar scenes in Wall Market, Reno stopped to ask where the survivors were and was directed to a children's play park.   
  
The park was full of refugees, gathered in groups. A few shops had sprung up and the atmosphere was almost claustrophobic. Reno found someone who looked like they were in charge and strode over to him, “Hey!” Rude followed close behind, “Yo, who do we talk to if we wanna help?”  
  
The man looked at them, “Me I guess. What was it you were planning on doing?”  
  
Reno looked up, towards what used to be the entrance between sector six and seven, “You found any survivors?”  
  
The man sighed, “Some. Most...aren't in good shape. We could use all the help we can get.”  
  
They soon found themselves climbing out of an old tunnel system and into what remained of Sector Seven. Already people were searching the wreckage, calling out and hauling debris around. Rude climbed up after Reno and put his hand on his shoulder. They both stared at it. Silent.   
  
Finally Reno sucked in a breath, “Let's get to work.” He muttered, striding forward, towards a small, winding path that looked to have already been cleared.   
  
They spent an hour clambering over rubble, hauling scrap away to clear a path. Soon Reno's t-shirt was no longer white, he kept pausing, staring around with clouded eyes until Rude snapped him out of it. Together they cleared a small area.   
  
“Oh hey.” Reno pushed a piece of corrugated metal roofing off of a piece of concrete piping, beneath it was a scrap of cloth with a flowery pattern. “Looks like part of a dress!” He started pulling more pieces of rubble out of the way, discovering a hand, fingers with painted nails. “Hey! Miss, hey! Are you ok?”   
  
Rude knelt beside his partner and helped him pull rubble off of the woman, finally revealing her. A block of concrete fell from his fingers and he shook his head, turning away. The woman had been dead for several hours. Her face was ashy grey, her lips parted as if she had been speaking. Reno pressed the back of his hand to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. They were used to corpses, perhaps too used to them but there was something different about it now. Rude reached out, pressing his fingers to the woman's eyelids. Gently he closed them. “C'mon, there might be survivors.” He clapped Reno on the shoulder and stood.   
  
“Shit.” Reno whispered under his breath. He rose unsteadily and moved on, wandering aimlessly until he came across the remnants of a house. He stared at the shattered door, a piece of rebar cutting through it like a knife. Half-buried beneath a steel beam was a child's tricycle.   
  
_“Help! Help me, please!”  
  
_ Reno turned, listening.   
  
_“Help! It's dark! Help me! Mama! Dada! Help!”  
  
_ “Yo, Rude! There's a kid! A kid's trapped around here!”  
  
Rude came around a corner, “Where?”  
  
“I...dunno.” Reno turned towards the house and walked closer, “Hello? Anyone there?”  
  
 _“Help! I'm scared! Where's my mama?”  
  
_ “In here.” Reno grabbed the door, yanking it away from the rubble and dropping it behind him. The rebar had crushed one side of the house but he was thin enough to climb under the gap it had left. “I can fit under there, yo. Rude, gimme a hand.”   
  
“Are you sure? Looks kinda tight. Maybe we should go get some more help.”  
  
“No. What if we don't have time?” Reno turned on him, eyes wide with desperation, “I know...we're not heroes and there's no point in tryin' to pretend we are but...even if I can only save one person today, it's somethin'. It's gotta count. Help me do this.”  
  
Finally Rude nodded and set to work, shifting as much rubble as he could. Soon the gap was wide enough for Reno to army crawl through. He dropped onto his belly and shimmied into the dark. Rude stood outside, watching.   
  
“Hey, kid. You gotta gimme some direction here. It's black as hell in here.”   
  
“I'm over here!” The kid's voice came through loud and clear.  
  
Reno dragged himself forward a few more feet, he squinted and could just about see a small shadow crouched in a corner. “Hey, buddy. I'm here to get you outta here.”  
  
“I...I can't.”  
  
“What's wrong?”  
  
“I think my leg's stuck.”  
  
“Shit.” Reno scrambled closer, digging his phone out of his pocket and turning it on. He used the light to see. The child was huddled tightly into a corner, near what looked like an old fashioned fire place. A large piece of stone had fallen onto his leg. “Oh man,” Reno crawled closer, inspecting the damage. “Does it hurt?”  
  
“A bit.” The child kept his head low, hair obscuring his face.   
  
“Lemme take a look.” Reno set down his phone and dug his fingers underneath the stone. He shifted it, causing the child to scream. The sound cut through the dusty silence like a knife, causing Reno to lose his grip and wince. “Damn it. I'm sorry. Hey, hey, it's gonna be ok. I'm here. I'll make sure you get outta here, ok?” Reno took the child by the shoulders and squeezed gently, “You know, I used to live in the slums, like you.” He said, smiling a little. The boy looked up, his face pale and streaked with tears. He was shaking but listening. “I made it out though, maybe one day you will too. What do you wanna be when you grow up, huh?”  
  
“I...I wanna be a doctor.” The boy sniffed, voice thick with pain.  
  
“Yeah? Awesome, yo. It's good to have goals, ya'know? Just focus on that. What about your ma? What does she do?”  
  
“She works in a shop. My daddy works up top.”  
  
“Cool. Ok, so I'm gonna try again, ok? We gotta shift this rock or we're never gonna get out. But you gotta be brave for me, ok?”  
  
The boy's lower lip trembled, chin wobbling, “B-but...I c-can't be b-brave.”  
  
“Sure you can!” Reno forced a smile, “You wanna see your ma again, right? I bet she's real worried.”  
  
The boy frowned, tears trickling down his dirty cheeks. Finally he nodded, “'Kay.”  
  
“Good kid.” Reno let the smile fall as he turned to inspect the rock again. It was roughly square in shape, metal rods sticking through the top. He rubbed at his hair, taking a breath before taking hold of it again. “Ok, on three. One...two...” Reno dragged the rock away. The child screamed but this time he pulled it off of his leg. “We did it! Told ya you could!” He turned to the boy who was white as a sheet in the light from Reno's phone. Even his lips had lost colour. Reno shuffled closer and inspected his leg. Bone was sticking out, white against the boys bloody trouser leg. Reno's hands shook, “Right. This...could be a problem.” He swallowed and yanked off his own t-shirt, he slid it over the boys head, it was huge on him but Reno didn't have anything else to help him keep warm. “Don't look, kid. Hey, look at me. We're getting' outta here, do you hear me?” He put a hand against the boys cheek, he was cold to the touch. “Just keep talkin'. Tell me more about your ma.”  
  
The boy nodded, his entire body shaking, “She...she used to...used...to...tell me stories.”  
  
“Yeah? What kind of stories?” Reno asked absently, only half-listening as he grabbed a few sturdy looking pieces of wood.   
  
“About...heroes.” The boy mumbled, shivering as he wrapped the t-shirt more firmly around himself. “They'd save people from dragons and bad...bad things.”  
  
“Yeah, they do that, yo.” Reno tore the hem from his t-shirt, trying not to jolt the boy too much. “Ok, we gotta make sure that leg don't move. So I'm gonna have to tie these bits of wood to it, just while we get you out, ok?”  
  
The boy nodded, his movements growing sluggish. Reno coughed, inhaling dust as he set the pieces of wood either side of the boys leg. He slid the scrap of shirt underneath it and tied it as tight as he dared. “There. Don't pass out on me, kid. Keep listening to me, ok? We're gonna make it. You've gotta be brave, just like those heroes in your ma's stories, ok?”  
  
The boy listed to one side, Reno grabbed him and held him steady as he pocketed his phone again. “Ok. Let's do this.” He muttered, “Lie down, the exits pretty low.” He lay the boy on his back, “I'm gonna have to drag you out, it might hurt...ok, it's gonna hurt a lot but this place ain't gonna hold up for much longer. So just bare it. Don't pass out.” The boy made a quiet little sound and Reno took it as acquiescence. He grabbed the boys shoulders and started an awkward sort of shuffle back towards the hole he had come through. “Yo, Rude! I got the kid! Gonna need some help gettin' out.”  
  
“Ok.”  
  
Reno nodded to himself and kept going, shuffling as slowly as he dared. He backed up underneath the bar, staying low while also pulling the boy with him. He hit his elbow and cursed under his breath. “We're nearly there, kid.” He called, feeling Rude grab his legs and yank. He was pulled out, dragging the child along. He was blinded by bright daylight, he winced, blinking as he took a few deep breaths of fresh air. Then he opened his eyes and sat up, moving to the boy. “You ok? We're out we-” Reno froze. The boy was too cold when he touched his cheek.   
  
“He ok?” Rude knelt at his side, seeing the boys wounded leg, “Damn.” He hissed, and looked back up.   
  
Reno pressed a shaking hand to the boys neck, he closed his eyes with a sigh and let his hand fall back to his thigh.   
  
“Reno?”  
  
Reno shook his head, “I thought...maybe.” He swallowed, his throat sore from dust. Absently he rubbed at his neck, smearing blood and dirt across his skin, “Maybe I could-” He shook his head again, “Shit. Shit. _Shit_.”   
  
Rude stared down at the boy for a moment before he rose, he took him into his arms, “C'mon. Let's take him back, least he deserves is a proper burial.” Rude removed Reno's ruined t-shirt from the boy gently and handed it back.  
  
Reno remained for a moment, head low as he stared into the dirt. Finally he nodded and followed Rude back to the entrance to Sector Seven. “We did this.” He said finally, sniffing and coming to a halt. He looked up, towards what remained of the upper plate. “That kids blood is on our hands.” Rude's grip tightened on the body of the child but he didn't speak. “You take the kid back...maybe his ma'll find him, I dunno...but...I gotta keep lookin'. I...have to try. Maybe I can save someone. Maybe...”  
  
“You're not going alone.” Rude said, his voice a low rumble, “Just wait here for me.”  
  
Reno leaned against a wooden board and shrugged. Rude nodded, satisfied and moved on, winding his slow way through the rubble with his burden. Reno waited, staring up at the now visible sky. His contemplations were interrupted by a couple of men who came out of the winding path ways of rubble.  
  
“Hey, you find any survivors yet?” One of the men asked, coming to a halt. He was covered in dirt too, it was smeared across his face and his hands looked bruised. His friend was wiping his own hands on a filthy cloth.  
  
Reno shook his head, “Thought we did but...they died before I could get them out.”  
  
The men exchanged a sad look, “Yeah. It's not easy. Here,” The first man reached into the pocket of his jeans and withdrew a silver flask, he uncapped it and held it out. “It's ok, there's still some left.”  
  
“Thanks, yo.” Reno took it in a shaking hand and sipped. The alcohol stung his mouth and he winced, “Woah, what's in that?”  
  
The man grinned, “A little medicine.” He winked and found a seat on a broken pillar. His friend joined him, “Where're you from, anyway? You don't sound like you're from around here.”  
  
Reno shook his head, “Another sector.” He replied, shrugging, “Just found out what happened and...I had to help.”  
  
“Yeah. Mike here's from sector six. We met once when I went to Wall Market. I'm Bryce, by the way.” Bryce held out his hand and Reno took it, he shook Mike's hand after but didn't offer his own name. The two men took it in their stride.  
  
“You know, I heard some of the guys talking about who did this.” Mike said, shifting against his perch. “Shinra are tryin' to tell us it was Avalanche but people're saying it was Shinra themselves.”  
  
Bryce shook his head, “It's just a conspiracy theory, man. Shinra aren't that stupid. Why'd they take out an entire sector? What good would that do them? Nah. It was Avalanche. They were blowing up reactors left and right, this is just more of the same. They don't care who gets caught up in the cross fire.” Reno shifted uncomfortably but didn't say anything. “You hear these stupid rumours?” Bryce asked, shaking his head, “It's as bad as them guys who're talkin' about secret science labs beneath Midgar.” He laughed, handing Reno the flask again. “It's just stupid.”  
  
“Yeah,” Reno managed a laugh and drank, handing the flask back.  
  
“I'd stay out of this rumour mongering, for everyone's sakes. Just concentrate on trying to help as many people as you can.”  
  
Mike shrugged, “I would've thought the same as you not too long ago, but now? I dunno what to believe man.”  
  
Bryce slapped Mike on the back, “About time we got back to work. Nice meeting you.” He nodded to Reno who nodded back and they left. Reno sighed and sank to the floor, putting his head in his hands.  
  
Rude soon returned and they set off to search again. They spent hours combing through the rubble, finding corpses and little else. Finally the sun began to set. Reno sat on a small pile of rubble, his hands over his head and head between his knees. A cool wind whistled through the debris, stirring up dust and the scent of mako. Rude sat at his side, staring up at the sky and watching the sun sink into brilliant pinks and golds. They had pulled out as many bodies as they could and, with the help of others, had covered them in blankets and tarps. They were laid out in a morbid line, waiting for identification and burial. The smell of death was pervasive, Reno knew it would be a long time before he could wash it away.   
  
“Pretty.” Rude said suddenly, breaking the silence. His eyes were on the sunset.  
  
Reno slowly lifted his head, “Yeah.” He sighed.  
  
Rude's hand curled into fist where it lay on the ground, “If we could leave...what would you do?” He asked, his voice cracking a little.  
  
Reno laughed bitterly, “There's nowhere for me to go. Nothin' else I _can_ do. How...” Reno swallowed, his voice rough as he closed his eyes, “How're we supposed to make up for this, yo? What've we _done_?” He looked across the mountainous piles of rubble, he listened to the calls and shouts of the search parties and he clenched his hands into fists, “C'mon, let's go home.” He sighed, rising to his aching feet, “There's nothin' more we can do here.”  
  
Rude stood too, glancing behind him once and sealing the scene into his memory.


End file.
